Surgical drapes are utilized by operating room personnel during surgery in order to minimize, if not eliminate, bacterial as well as other forms of contamination from the actual surgical site. The "surgical drape" of prior art in general, consists of multiple pieces of fabric attached in a particular manner as to form a block "T" shape, large enough to cover the patient's body as well as, in some cases, the operating room table which includes the armboard and legboard surfaces. Generally, the drape includes a fenestration or hole through which the actual surgery is conducted. The area immediately adjacent to the fenestration is commonly referred to as the "critical zone" since this is the area where the physician will be performing the actual surgical procedures. Surgical drapes are customarily used during all types of surgical procedures, including, but not limited to, laparotomy, child birth, and all forms of cardiovascular care.
Examples of "T" shaped surgical drapes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,586,498; 4,489,720 and 3,856,006. U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,006 discloses a "T" shaped surgical drape consisting of at least two pieces of fabric fastened together in such a fashion as to form the wing or armboard extensions as well as a torso section, including the legboard extensions. The two pieces of fabric are attached together in such a manner as to permit the armboard covers to cover the patient and to hang substantially vertically downward over the edge of the operating room table when the drape is in use. The seam between the pieces of fabric extends laterally across the drape through the critical zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,720 discloses a "T" shaped surgical drape utilized for cesarean section. As with U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,006, U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,720 discloses multiple pieces of fabric fastened together into a block "T" shape allowing coverage of both the torso as well as the arms of a patient. There is material overlap between the pieces of fabric and the seam between such pieces of fabric extends laterally through the critical zone and adjacent to the fenestration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,720 does not teach nor disclose any coverage for the armboard or legboard extension nor does such patent reveal any mechanism which would allow a surgical drape to both cover a patient and extend vertically downward from and contoured to the armboard and legboard extensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,498 discloses a "T" shaped surgical drape fabricated from multiple pieces of material through the time-consuming task of, in general, 1) cutting the drape; 2) folding the cut portions of the drape at 45.degree. angles; and, 3) refolding the drape. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,498, the result of the folding sequence provides a single edge which may be attached to the top edge of the main portion of the drape by adhesive. The attachment sequence of U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,498 apparently permits the armboard and legboard covers to drape vertically from such covers.
As can clearly be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the wish list of ingredients for the ideal "T" shaped surgical drape is that such drape would be 1) constructed from inexpensive fabric; 2) easy to manufacture; 3) utilizes a minimum amount of fabric; 4) prevents contamination of the surgical site and 5) permits the drape to both cover the patient and extend vertically from and contoured to the armboard and legboard covers. None of the prior art discloses such ingredients. The overlap of material created by the methods employed in the prior art of forming the wing or arm portion results in material waste. The method of fastening the fabric in the prior art results in a seam extending through the critical zone creating the possibility of contamination in spots where the seam is imperfect. The method of forming the arm portions in the prior art is both time consuming as well as cumbersome.